Cape May’s Ghosts and Legends, Part ll

Cape May is a peninsula town located on the southernmost tip of New Jersey. In Part l I share sightings of ghosts seen near Higbee Beach. The two stories below are part legend and part true hauntings.

Beach at Cape May

The Pirate’s Treasure

A legend connected to the Captain’s Quarters an inn in Cape May, now renamed The Inn on Ocean is that it has a buried treasure on its property.

The Inn on Ocean

An unseen force protects this inn. One witness to this phenomenon is a man whose family owned the inn for ten years. He states this treasure, 40,000 British pounds, is buried beneath where the inn stands today.

A sea captain who looted many British vessels was able to amass a small fortune. Returning home to Cape May he gave his fortune to his mistress and told her to protect it. He then returned to sea.

Tragically, his ship was lost in a storm and when the captain did not return his mistress heart-broken committed suicide by hanging. She took the secret of the location of the buried treasure with her.

It is believed her ghost, named Charlene, wanders the inn today still protecting this treasure.

The owners of the inn state her ghost likes to make noise. Her footsteps are heard and she whispers a lot. Charlene also likes to bang cabinets doors.

The inn’s attic is where she often plays pranks. She likes to lock people in this room. When locksmiths are called out and arrive she then unlocks the door.

People are warned to leave the room immediately for Charlene locks the door again.

Higbee Beach and the Hound of Hell

In Part l of this post witnesses state they have seen a ghostly man walking a large black dog along this beach which is on Cape May’s bay side. Over the years these witness sightings have been exaggerated.

Higbee Beach

A legend about Higbee is about a Hound of Hell, which haunts it. This dog is described as very large and black. When this hound is seen he is sometimes accompanied by a dark figure dressed in a black cloak.

It is said both this figure and the dog have fiery glowing red eyes. Witnesses’ state when they spotted these two figures they also smelled the distinct odor of sulfur--an odor often connected to evil.

This phantom dog is said to carry a curse--so people are warned this hound brings bad luck and death.

When this legend began no one knows but this type of hound is often associated with guarding a burial ground. In this case, maybe a Native American burial ground.

This legend also states this hound protects the souls of sailors lost at sea and even pirate’s buried treasure.

In Part l of Cape May's Ghosts and Legends I share one man's encounter with several ghosts.

Cape May’s Ghosts and Legends, Part l

Cape May is on a peninsula on the southernmost tip of New Jersey. It is the oldest seaside community in the United States. The original settlement was established along the Delaware Bay in 1620.

Cape May

Today, the tourists that visit this charming peaceful town littered with Victorian style homes and inns * do not see signs of the areas long violent history.

Hundreds of years ago the Native Americans used this spot to rest and take advantage of the natural resources before making the long journey up river. It is said when the white settlers first came the Indians then cursed the area.

Privateers and wreckers frequented the area’s beaches in search of fresh water. They often stole, plundered and murdered the residents. In later years, floods, fires and the Civil War brought more grief to the community.

This violent history is the reason why many feel that Cape May is haunted today.

* Many of the town's homes and inns are haunted.

Higbee Beach

This beach is located on the Delaware Bay side of Cape May. At one point it gained notoriety as New Jersey’s only nude beach. People from all over the country flocked to partake.

Today, Higbee is used as a Wildlife Management area and has regained its tranquility. All the bathers are gone.

Higbee Beach

This Beach is littered with thousands of pieces of quartz known as the Cape May Diamonds. These rocks are another reason people feel this beach has paranormal activity.

Craig McManus, a well-known psychic feels the reason Higbee is haunted is because it is one of the few places along the New Jersey coast that still has portions of the original forest habitat.

During a hike through this area McManus sensed the presence of several Native Americans. He and his fellow hikers felt the dense forested area grow unnaturally quiet--then the spirits firmly told McManus to “leave.”

One of McManus' ghost books.

Craig McManus has also seen the ghost of a man walking a big black dog along Higbee Beach. When he turned his head this apparition vanished. Many witnesses over the years have reported seeing this same sight.

McManus feels this ghost might be Thomas Higbee who helped build the old hotel on this beach. When Thomas died it was his wish to be buried by Delaware Bay--he was.

But later a relative of his had his body removed and buried in Cold Spring Cemetery. McManus believes Higbee’s spirit was not happy about this so his spirit lingers at Higbee Beach.

In Part ll, Cape May’s Ghostsand Legends I share two legendary ghost stories that are told.